Lubricator



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

A. T. BALLANTINE.

LUBRIGATOR.

No. 371,916. Patented oon.I z5, 1887.

(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheen 2.

A. T. BALLANTINE.

LUBRICATOR.

Patented Oct. Z5, 1887.

NITED STATES PATENT OEErcE.

ALEXANDER rr. EALLANTINE, 0E CLEVELAND, omo.'

LUBRICATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 371,916I dated October 25, 1887.

Application filed September 27, 1886. Serial No. 214,627. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern..- y

Be it k nown that I, ALEXANDER T. BALLAN- TINE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lubrieators for Steam-En-v gines; and I do hereby declare that therfollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the inventiomwhich will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to improvements in lubricators for steam-engines; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of the lubricator complete. Fig. 2 is an elevation thereof, looking from the right of Fig. l.v Fig. 3 is a plan View. Fig. 4. is a vertical section on line :l: x, Fig. 3, with the position reversed. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on line y y, Fig..l. Fig. 6 is a transverse section on line e z, Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on line m m, Fig. l.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A is a cylinder, containing condensingchamber a and oil-chamber a beneath it. A diaphragm, c, separates the two chambers, and a neck, a3, passes through the condensingchamber and, connecting the head of the cylinder and the diaphragm, serves to introduce oil to the oil-chamber. The neck vis provided with a saucer and screwplug. v

a4 is a channel on the side of the cylinder, through which and the turning plug B in the bottom of the cylinder the fluid accumulating in the condensing-chamber is conducted into the oil-chamber.

a5 is a steam and oil conduit on the opposite side of the cylinder from a4, for directing the oil to the steam-pipe, as hereinafter described.

rIhe turning plug B has a right-angled passage-Way, b, adapted to register with the passage c or the steam-passage c, according to its position, as will be seen further on.

C is a short arm or pipe, preferably cast integral With the base of the cylinder A, and having a steam-passage, c, which. communicates with pipe d, and steam and oil passage or conduit c,which communicates with the pipe outside the water-tube E. The pipe d is screwed into the pipe C at the inner end of the conduit c therein, and its opposite end rests `in a socket in the elbow'pipe d', which discharges into the condensing chamber. A packing nut, c3, secures the joint between pipes d d.

E is the Water-tube, provided with glass cylinder e and oblong opening e', to view the feed. Near the top of the tube is an overfloworice, e2, and outside thereof a short pipe, c3, connecting the said orifice and the steam and oil channel c in the pipe C. A screw-plug, c4, having perforations adapted to register with the orifice e, closes the top of the watertube. In the bottom of the water-tube I place a needle-valve, F, which is screw-threaded and packed and serves for governing the flow of oil through the Water-tube to the steam-cylinder.

TheV operation is as follows: Steam under equal pressure being admitted to the lubricator through the channels c c,which head back to the engine, condensation occurs in both the chamber a in cylinder A andi in the water-tube E sufficient for all practical purposes. The chamber a having been filled, say, half-full of oil, and the plug B turned, as shown in Fig. 4, the accumulating fluid in chamber c descends through passage c, and by its superior weight lifts the oil to the point of overliow into passage a5. Condensation having meantime occured in the tube E, said tube is supposed to be filled with Water, and the oil by its greater volume and pressure in the pipe or passage c5 and the connecting-channel beneath forces its Way subject to control or measurement by the needle-valve F to the Water-chamber E, and thence by its buoyancy to the 'surface and into the overflow-pipe ca, where it is caught up by the steam and carried to the steam-chest to perform the office for which it is intended. Normally the watertube E is full to overtlowing by condensation. The two-way plug B is adapted to be turned directly into communication With the conduit C, in which case it cuts off the 110W of water through the channel a4 and enables the Water in the oil-chamber to be drawn off ,when for IOO any reason this becomes desirable or necessary.

'in the chamber when replenishing is necessary, or'is held in the Waterin solution,which adds an element of economy to convenience.

Of course two separate plugs or cocks, in-

I stead of the two-way plug B, maybe employed to control the Huid-passages in the bottom of the cylinder, and the channels a'i a5 placed on t-he outside of the cylinder, if desired. Again, separate pipes, instead of the pipe C with two channels, may be used, in which case the method ofcoupling pipes d dcould be omitted, and the w ater and oil chambers may be formed separately. These, however, are changes in minor and unessential features, and,like others that might be suggested, do not aifect the merits of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

, l. In a lubricator, an oilchamber, a condensing-chamber above the oil-chamber, and a conduit leading from the condensing-cham-v ber to the bottom of the oil-chamber and hav` ing a reversing shut-off plug at the point of l its entrance into the said oil-chamber, in compassage opening into the bottom of the oilchamber and extending thence into the steampipe, and a device controlling the iiow of iiuid through both the aforesaid conduit and duidpassage Yand closing one while it opens the other, all in combination, substantially as described.

3. In a lubricator, the combination of a condensing-chamber, an oil-chamber, and a conduit between them leading into the bottom of the oilvchamber, a Huid-passage opening into said conduit at its entrance to the oil-cham ber and emptying into the steam-pipe, and a reversible plug controlling said conduit and fluid-passage, substantially as set forth.

4. In a lubricator, a cylinder having oil and water chambers connected by a conduit which enters the oil-chamber at the bottom, and a plug in said bottom controlling said conduit and the outlet from the oil-chamber, in combination with an outside tube entering the water-chamber, and an overiiow-passage connected with the top of the oil-chamber, substantiall y as set forth.

5. In a lubricator, a cylinder provided with oil and water chambers separated by a diaphragm, a conduit between said parts entering the oil-chamber at the bottom, a fluid-passage leading from the oil-chamber into the steam-pipe, and a plug controlling the conduit and the iluidpassage, in combination with an overflow-passage in the oilchamber, a sightfeed connected with the said passage, and au overfioW-tube connected with the sight-feed, substantially as set forth.

ALEXANDER T. BALLANTINE.

Vitnesses:

H. T. FrsHEn, NVM. M. MONROFM 

